"Sequence Editor" or "Show" will not light up Controllers

[Stingray1969]

My first year with four CTB16D controllers Ver 4.01 and v3.12.0 Advanced software.

I can't seem to run a controller/lights from the sequence editor or run a show.

 

Searched the forums, watched the videos, still at a loss.

 

I'm sure it's one (correct) click of the mouse and I'll be back on track; so any help will be GREATLY appreciated.

 

- Running on comm 11 @ 57.6K

- Hardware Utility finds all four units (01 through 04 CTB16D) and I can run the light tests on each unit with no problem (controller board led comes on steady when the Hardware Utility starts up)

- When I exit the Hardware Utility the controller board starts blinking again

- I start up the Control Panel to open Sequence Editor (also tried skipping the control panel to open Seq Editor)

- - Checked Network Settings, same as in the H/U, all good there

- - Little blue box in the bottom right corner

- - Control Lights checked in the Play menu

- - I built a test seq for just one controller in order to troubleshoot (still no luck)

- - I tried building a show with that seq, tried to schedule a show, tried Show on Demand, (again, no luck)

- - "Status" says show is playing, no errors

- LED blinks all the time, unless connected to the Hardware Utility

 

Thanks for having a look

 

[bob]

I know you've said some things that probably meant these things I'm about to say, but I just want to make sure I'm understanding:

 

When you run the HWU, and it successfully detects the units, in the "Setup Comm Port" section in the upper left, it says "Comm 11"?

 

And if you then close the HWU, open the Sequence Editor, then:

 

(1) The square in the lower right is blue;

 

(2) The LED status lights on the controllers are blinking;

 

(3) Network Preferences shows your "Regular" network as "COM 11".

 

And just to be explicit, all three of those things are true at the same time?

 

Is that all correct?

[Stingray1969]

I know you've said some things that probably meant these things I'm about to say, but I just want to make sure I'm understanding:

 

True - When you run the HWU, and it successfully detects the units, in the "Setup Comm Port" section in the upper left, it says "Comm 11"?

 

And if you then close the HWU, open the Sequence Editor, then:

 

True - (1) The square in the lower right is blue;

 

True - (2) The LED status lights on the controllers are blinking;

 

True - (3) Network Preferences shows your "Regular" network as "COM 11".

 

Yes - And just to be explicit, all three of those things are true at the same time?

 

Correct - Is that all correct?

 

It seems to me the only software that is 'talking' to the Controllers is the HWU.

 

Since the HWU is able to connect and run light tests that tells me all the wired connections between the computer and the controllers are good. 

 

So I'm now at the limits of my troubleshooting ability, I don't want to change too many other settings and really screw things up. 

 

I've done all the things I've found in the videos and forum/internet searches so I figured I ask here.

 

Thanks

Edited November 21, 2014 by Stingray1969

[George Simmons]

Do you have both the HU and the SE open at the same time?

[dgrant]

As George asked, you can't have both the SE and HWU running at the same time. For the moment, don't bother with the control panel or launching it. Just insure the HWU is closed, then open the SE by itself. Go to the Edit pulldown, Preferences, Network Preferences selection and verify that your comm port is listed there as the one talking to the controllers in the LOR tab.

[Stingray1969]

Yes the HWU is closed, in S/E the box in the lower right is blue, Network Preferences shows the comm port as 11 (the same as the HWU), and control lights is checked.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Stingray1969

[Stingray1969]

Updated the firmware, Ver 4.30, still no luck.  works in stand alone mode with the test seq i downloaded to it but not with S/E or Shows.

 

The status LED seems to be blinking at an irregular rate, I haven't picked up any real pattern but it's late... 

 

Is there an error sequence the LED blinks if there is a problem?

Edited November 22, 2014 by Stingray1969

[dgrant]

Unload the control panel, the blue bulb, by right clicking on it and selecting unload. The blue indicates you have a show scheduled, I think. Now open the SE and see if you can talk to the lights. If the comm status lights on the controllers are blinking, then you do not have communication established which is why it was suggested to open the SE, EDIT, PREFERENCES, then Network Preferences and "see" if the same comm port is selected in the LOR tab for your AC controllers.

 

You might wish to reinstall the software, do another setup on the HWU to let it scan for the comm port and when it asks you if this is the port for the show, select yes.

[Stingray1969]

Re-downloaded and re-installed the software, no change.

 

All programs (hardware, seq editor, and control panel) agree that comm 11 is the comm port being used. 

 

S/E reports "Comm port status: Good" by hovering over the blue box in the lower right hand corner of the program. 

 

I have built two test seq, one musical and one animation neither will communicate with the controllers. 

[dgrant]

Also, in the SE, do me a favor and check the "PLAY" pulldown menu again please. Look at the checkbox for "Control Lights" and/or "Control Light Designer". Do not check the "Control Light Designer" and insure the "Control Lights" is checked. Does it stay checked when you attempt to play the sequence?

 

You keep mentioning the "Blue" bulb on the taskbar which is the control panel program running. Trying to run the SE while the blub is anything other than "RED" is a problem. When the control panel launches, if you have a show actually scheduled, the bulb will turn BLUE plus what happens, I think, is that the control panel monitor program, takes control of the comm port therefore if you then launch the SE (Sequence Editor), it can't talk to the port because the control panel is already talking to it. This is why I asked you to "Unload" the control panel first, then launch the SE and see then, if you can command your lights.

 

Only one program can talk to the comm port at a time.

Edited November 22, 2014 by dgrant

[Stingray1969]

"Control Lights" stays checked

"Control Holiday Light Designer" is not checked (and there is no difference if I do check it.

 

I'm not talking about the blue bulb in the taskbar for the Control Panel..

 

I'm talking about he blue BOX in the lower right hand corner of the S/E

when you hover over it it tells you "Comm port status: Good"

or

if the BOX is red (because the H/U or something else is open) and hover over it the message is "Comm port status: Error"

 

Mine is blue because nothing else is open

[dgrant]

Ok...cool. Sorry about the misunderstanding. Ok, so now lets look at the first channel of your sequence. When you hover the mouse cursor over it, left side channel description, it should tell you the device # and channel #. These should probably say Unit 01, channel 1....assumption only. Now right click on that same description box and select Change Channel Settings. Another box will pop up and show the settings. The Device Type should say LOR Controller, Network should say "Regular",  Unit # is 01 and Circuit #1. Again, the assumption is in this case, controller 1, channel 1. If that is what you have and if there are commands for that channel in the sequence, by all rights, you should see lights turning on for that channel.

[Stingray1969]

That

 

Ok...cool. Sorry about the misunderstanding. Ok, so now lets look at the first channel of your sequence. When you hover the mouse cursor over it, left side channel description, it should tell you the device # and channel #. These should probably say Unit 01, channel 1....assumption only. Now right click on that same description box and select Change Channel Settings. Another box will pop up and show the settings. The Device Type should say LOR Controller, Network should say "Regular",  Unit # is 01 and Circuit #1. Again, the assumption is in this case, controller 1, channel 1. If that is what you have and if there are commands for that channel in the sequence, by all rights, you should see lights turning on for that channel.

All of your assumptions are correct.  I took everything off the network except one controller.

It is set (with the dial switches) left dial at "0" and right dial at "1"

All circuits show Unit01 and the appropriate circuit, Unit 01.1 Unit01.2 etc

H/U sees it no problem, I can do light tests and download an animation seq to it and it runs the animation seq.

I went into the standalone tab of the H/U and told it to no longer function as a stand alone, didn't help.

And the status LED on the controller is still flashing, unless i bring up the H/U

Does it matter which of the two sockets on the controller the Cat 5 is plugged into?

Edited November 22, 2014 by Stingray1969

[dgrant]

It should not matter. I've got a feeling that your comtrollers are stuck in the mode to run those loaded internal sequences only. I don't know how to put a stop to that if the HWU won't force it. Put in a trouble ticket with LOR and see if that can advise you how to force a "reset" of that type of controller.

[Stingray1969]

I upgraded the firmware to 4.3, I expected that to wipe out any latent code wandering around inside and reset the controller, guess not.

 

I already put a ticket in, just waiting to hear back.  Figured I'd try here too.

[Stingray1969]

Anyone have trouble with McAfee; could it be a firewall issue? 

Just grasping at straws here

[dgrant]

You could disable McAffee and try again. BTW, McAffee is the largest joke of AV software that I've ever come across in all my years of repairing computers. Just a personal recommendation, dump it for just about anything else...will be better by far. I can recommend two AV softwares that truly work and very well. PM me or anyone else who wants the recommendation.

[Stingray1969]

Turns out it was my network speed setting.

 

57.6K wont work on my network

 

19.2 and 115.4 will work.

 

Are there any advantages or disadvantages to using one or the other?